Straightening the Spine

I climbed out of the pen tray and stepped onto the wide oak desk. Morning light fell across a small wire memo clip holding a loose stack of square yellow sticky notes. The top sheets had slipped sideways, their edges flared like a crooked fan. I stopped and studied the uneven margin. Using both hands, I pressed my weight against the paper corners, nudging each yellow slip until its straight edge met the one below. A firm downward pat flattened the stack into a crisp, clean cube flush against the polished wood. The yellow square is steady now.